LAHORE, Aug 3: Manager of Pakistan cricket team Naveed Akram Cheema has said that he is ending his association with the national team with self-satisfaction for which he is thankful to players and other members of the team management.

Talking to Dawn after ending his over three-year association with the national team as manager with the tour of West Indies being his last assignment, Naveed said it was not possible for him to continue his job after joining the new Federal Ministry of Housing and Planning as secretary after being transferred from Wapda.

“However, I am ending my job with self-satisfaction and I really appreciate players and other members of the team management for their positive attitude. They have extended me their cooperation during this time period without which my stint could not have been ended on a successful note,” he said.

He took the charge when the Pakistan cricket suffered a big jolt during the 2010 tour of England in which three Pakistani players, including then captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir, were caught in a spot-fixing case.

Then manager was Yawar Saeed who failed to control the situation.

However, then chairman Ijaz Butt who had appointed Yawar replaced him with Naveed and since then the situation has improved.

Naveed said that the decision about his position in the PCB as a member of the governing board would be taken according to the rules.

Naveed was on the governing board after winning the elections where PCB-affiliated departments cast votes.

Now, according to rules, fresh elections would be held soon to elect new representative of the departments to represent them in the governing board.

Naveed might have become PCB interim chairman due to his seniority in the governing board, had Prime Minister followed the PCB constitution in appointing PCB interim chairman.

The PCB constitution asks members of the governing board to pick the interim chairman in absence of the regular chairman due to any reason.

Meanwhile, Naveed said players extended him full cooperation and on some occasion there was difference of opinion, but he always tried to solve the matter amicably.

He said that he was leaving the best team as far as discipline was concerned.